Chief of Staff - Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

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Closing Date:
06/22/2026
Type of Position:
Administrative Operations and Support

Workstudy Position:

No
Job Type:
Regular

Work Shift:

Day Shift (United States of America)

Sponsorship Available:

No
Institution Name:
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation's top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation's strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

If you have a disability and need assistance with the hiring process, please submit a request via the Disability Accommodations | OEOC | University of Arkansas (uark.edu) : Request an Accommodation. Applicants are required to submit a request for each position of which they have applied.

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Department:
Fulbright College Dean's Office

Department's Website:

Summary of Job Duties:
The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences invites applications for the Fulbright Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Staff to the Dean serves as the Dean's principal strategic partner, advisor, and integrator, helping advance the academic, operational, reputational, and external priorities of Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
This highly visible role supports the Dean in leading the university's largest college by coordinating strategic initiatives, managing executive office operations, supporting governance and institutional accountability, preparing executive communications, and ensuring disciplined follow-through across a complex academic environment.
The Chief of Staff works closely with associate and assistant deans, department chairs, school directors, administrative unit leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, university leaders, and external partners. The role requires exceptional attention to detail, judgment, discretion, communication skills, organizational leadership, and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Execution
• Serve as a senior advisor to the Dean on college priorities, emerging issues, stakeholder concerns, and strategic opportunities.
• Translate the Dean's goals into actionable plans, timelines, ownership structures, and follow-up systems.
• Coordinate strategic planning, implementation tracking, leadership retreats, stakeholder engagement, and progress reporting.
• Lead or support high-priority projects related to planning, organizational effectiveness, external partnerships, advancement, facilities, and college operations.
• Help align work in Fulbright College across academic affairs, finance, HR, IT, advancement, communications and marketing, student success, advising, and other college partners.


Executive Office Operations and Management
• Oversee the operating rhythm of the Dean's Office, including leadership, chairs', directors', advisory groups, retreats, and other convenings.
• Manage the Dean's calendar, priorities, briefing materials, correspondence, travel, and follow-up in partnership with administrative staff.
• Triage incoming requests, determine appropriate next steps, and protect the Dean's time for highest-priority work.
• Prepare and staff the Dean for meetings, events, donor engagements, governance discussions, and public-facing activities.
• Handle confidential personnel, budgetary, reputational, compliance, and institutional matters with discretion.
• Supervise, coach, and support Dean's Office administrative staff and other assigned staff, interns, or project teams.
• Provide strategic oversight or coordination for major college-wide, employee-facing events (e.g., faculty convocation, end-of-year event, holiday party).
• Lead or support executive searches, leadership transitions, onboarding plans, and other special projects requiring confidentiality, coordination, and executive-level follow-through.
• Build clear systems for accountability, communication, delegation, and follow-through within the Dean's Office.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, reduce administrative burden, strengthen coordination, and enhance service to internal and external stakeholders.


Governance, Policy, and Institutional Accountability
• Support the Dean's engagement with university leadership, governance bodies, advisory councils, and other senior stakeholders.
• Prepare agendas, reports, presentations, decision memos, briefing papers, and follow-up materials for executive and advisory audiences.
• Coordinate college-level responses to policy changes, legislative requirements, compliance reviews, accreditation-related needs, federal or state inquiries, and other sensitive matters.
• Support crisis response and issues management through accurate information flow, stakeholder coordination, documentation, and communication planning.
• Serve on college and university committees, councils, and working groups as needed.


External Relations, Reputation, and Stakeholder Engagement
• Draft or coordinate executive communications for the Dean, including internal messages, speeches, reports, donor correspondence, presentations, policy communications, and crisis communications.
• Work closely with communications and marketing colleagues to ensure Dean's Office communications are timely, accurate, clear, consistent, and mission-aligned.
• Partner with communications, advancement, university relations, and other units to support major initiatives, events, publications, constituent engagement, and reputation-building efforts.
• Partner with development and advancement colleagues to support donor strategy, stewardship, campaign planning, reports, proposals, presentations, and events.
• Support engagement with alumni, donors, advisory boards, government officials, philanthropic partners, civic leaders, and other high-priority constituents.
• Coordinate constituent relations systems and identify opportunities for strategic outreach from the Dean or college leadership.


Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.
Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• At least three years of progressively responsible experience in executive administration, strategic operations, project management, communications, advancement, higher education administration, public administration, or a related field
• Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders, deadlines, and deliverables

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• Experience working in higher education, preferably in a large, complex academic unit or public research university
• Experience supervising staff or coordinating cross-functional teams
• Experience supporting a senior executive (e.g., dean, vice chancellor, provost, president, CEO, board, or comparable senior leader)
• Experience preparing executive communications, briefing materials, presentations, reports, or governance materials
• Experience supporting strategic planning, implementation, governance, institutional reporting, compliance, or accreditation-related work
• Experience with executive searches, leadership onboarding, donor relations, advancement events, external partnerships, advisory boards, and/or constituent engagement
• Experience managing sensitive policy, personnel, crisis communication, reputational, or institutional matters

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Exceptional judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate ideas into action
• Ability to synthesize complex information and develop clear recommendations
• Ability to influence without formal authority and work effectively in a shared-governance environment
• High emotional intelligence and ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders
• Ability to work calmly and effectively in ambiguous, sensitive, or high-pressure situations

Additional Information:

Salary Information:

Commensurate with education and experience.

Required Documents to Apply:

Cover Letter/Letter of Application, List of five Professional References (name, email, business title), Resume

Optional Documents:

Proof of Veteran Status

Recruitment Contact Information:

Kaleb Turner, Chief of Staff, View email address on click.appcast.io

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site


Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:
Criminal Background Check, Financial Credit Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University's Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:
N/A
Frequent Physical Activity:
N/A
Occasional Physical Activity:
N/A
Benefits Eligible:
Yes